People are not capable of change
by PapillonNoir97
Summary: Some blame Valka for never returning home, for showing no faith in her fellow tribesman. But she had her reasons.


This is how it feels to be a dragon!

Two months have passed since she was "kidnapped" by a wild dragon, but flutter of wings and swish of air still intoxicated her like a finest mead. Even fearing for her life during their first flight, she felt awe as the dragon cut through storm clouds with strong beats of four gigantic wings… Cloudjumper. This name popped in her mind even quicker than name for her own son.

Hiccup. She almost got him and his father , her beloved husband killed … because she couldn't kill a dragon. Maybe they'd be better off without her. But as time passed, she longed for Stoick more and more, and even excitement of her growing bond with Cloudjumper couldn't stifle this feeling. Couldn't take her mind off all the dragons and Vikings dying in this useless, war which begging was long lost in the past.

A war she'll put an end to. She had mounted Cloudjumper as he had been flying for another raid to the isle of Berk. It disturbed her- dragons needed to eat. And the fact that they needed to eat Vikings' herds, was a bit disturbing **her great vision** of peace . Tidal dragons, of course, never attacked the village, at least not directly, feeding off a fish- even the great Bewildearbeast did so- but she had quite a hard time imagining scary-and-covered-in-flames Monstrous NIghtare, swiming for hours in the cold, Northern seas to fish **.** But first, she needed to change Berkians' minds about dragons. Her plan wasn't really sophisticated- basically she was gonna fly over the village, screaming "LOOK! IT'S ME, VALKA! I'M FLYING ON A FUCKIN' DRAGON AND HE HADN'T KILL ME!' until her husband speaks with her.

Well, at least a little things could go wrong.

They approach the village. Screams of fighting, wounded and dying people and dragons rise into deafening clangour. Her blood runs cold. Even the mighty roar of Bewildearbest hadn't made her heart pound likethis. Cloudjumper soars high over flames, she wants to bellow with all her might. But she can't , frozen with fear. Nothing has changed ,Berkians killed dragons like the've been doing for over 3 centuries .What if they shoot Cloudjumper with a bow, or a catapult, before they realize he comes in peace? What if he gets wounded? That was a risk she would never take, even to save all of the Children of Embla. Clumsily, Val grabs dragon's head and directs him upward. Here she is, the great Valka Haddock, Dragonlady of Berk, chickening out moments before her greatest dream comes true. Maybe Spitelout was right, when he called her Valka The Cowardly …

SPITELOUT! His smug, ugly face was the thing she was most happy to forget in Alpha's Sanctuary. He's most likely head over heels with joy, seeing his brother devastated with grief, hoping to take over the chieftain… Hell will thaw before she allows him to win! "Cloudjumper! DIVE!" -wild roar escaped her mouth before she realized she was supposed to keep Cloudjumper safe. They duck to the left, and glide over vast forests of Berk. Maybe her plan was a bit underthought. Maybe seeing her alive, riding a dragon, would be too much of a shock to Stoick.

It would be best if she sees her husband alone, and tries to reason with him before introducing him to a tamed dragon. The very sight of her, walking and talking, should be enough to shake his belief that dragons are nothing more than vicious, bloodthirsty beasts. It was just obvious that he could finally listen to her…

"I chickened again. I'm a despicable human being" She thought cheerfully, scratching Cloudjumper under his chin and watching the sunset from a cove where they had landed. All the others dragon returned to the Sanctuary before dawn. Somehow, she couldn't just go and face her husband. Maybe it would be best if the villagers put out the fire before her arrival. Maybe Stoick should wash the battle off himself, let the chiefing duties soothe the warrior inside him. He had propably hated dragons even more now they've "killed" his beloved wife . She left him for two months, she let him think she was dead. He mourned her death for two months. She could bet he was still devastated… What would he think? What if he got mad, and yelled at her for doing this to him?

Eventually, when the island was shrouded in darkness, she left the dragon's side and silently made her way towards the village. She creeped between schorched buildings, amazed that villagers already started to rebuild many of them. Val run her hand through the ashes of half-burned wall, and felt strange tingling in her stomach. Was it… Guilt? She did none of this! But she did came with the raiders, and didn't try to stop them. "Well, I WILL stop them now. Forever". Albeit she was still grateful that moon was new, and no one would see her even if they'd be awake at this late hour. After a while of sneaking, she realized she was getting close to chief's home " OUR home. Mine. Stoick's. Hiccup's" She smiled to herself, and added "And soon, Cloudjumper's." Just as she grabbed the door knob, she overheard "…Val" said in a deep, apparently drunk voice. " She was there , I swear it, Gobber!" "It's been over two months, Stoick. It's just not possible." "But I saw her, and she was sitting on a back of dragon!" "Stoick… listen. Event if she survived, riding a dragon… That's just ridiculous I know you've been under a lot of pression, you'd lost your wife and almost lost your son. Maybe you should… take a break' It's alright if you can't cope with all that. "THE CHIEF WENT MAD?! That's what you mean?!" " No! Im' just saying… There was smoke, and flames everywhere, you can't trust your eyes. And she meant so much to you… You just imagined it " You're propanly right… Maybe I did broke down after she died" 'Maybe. Now we should both get some 's village to rebuild"

She ducked left just before Gobber walked out of the door, tottering slightly. "Well, shit. Now he's alone and you're all out of excuses " She took a deep breath and opened the door.

He was there, sitting by the fire. "Stoick" . Nothing but a frozen figure, dark before the fire. "Stoick it's me, Val" He finally turned around"No" Eyes wide with fear " Val is killed can't be. You're just a drunken dream" "Stoick, I'm right here in the flesh. When the dragon abucted he didn't kill me, I've lived among them' she said, touching his arm reassuringly.

"NO! SHE"S DEAD! Nobody could survive among those… MONSTERS! Val died that night! THEY KILLED HER! Begone, demon !" HE bellowed, throwing his mug in her direction

Valka didn't remember how she got there, but now she was crying, holidng tigh onto Cloudjumper ,while the dragon was giving of comforting purrs.

"How can be like that?" she sobbed. " He'd rather question his sanity ,or summon a ghost, than believe in what I've been saying for years" It took her hours to get a grip .

"People are not capable of change, Cloudjumper" She said mounting the dragon "Take us to our home"


End file.
